Sobhraj charles biography of william

Charles Sobhraj born Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj , 6 April is a French serial killer , fraudster , and thief who preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of South Asia during the s. He was known as the Bikini Killer because of the attire of several of his victims, as well as the Splitting Killer and the Serpent for "his snake-like ability to avoid detection by authorities".

Charles Sobhraj (born Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj, 6 April ) is a French serial killer, fraudster, and thief who preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of South Asia during the s.

It is thought that Sobhraj murdered at least 20 tourists in South and Southeast Asia , including 14 in Thailand. After his release he returned to France. Described as "handsome, charming and utterly without scruple", [ 11 ] he used his looks and cunning to advance his criminal career and obtain celebrity status; he is known to have enjoyed his infamy.

His name was entered as Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj in church records in Sobhraj continued to move back and forth between Southeast Asia and France with the family.

Charles Sobhraj (born 6 April ), also known as the Bikini Killer, is a French thief, fraudster and serial killer.

As a teenager, he began to commit petty crimes; he received his first custodial sentence for burglary in , serving his sentence at Poissy prison near Paris. Around the same time, he met and endeared himself to Felix d'Escogne, a wealthy young man and prison volunteer. After being paroled, Sobhraj moved in with d'Escogne and spent his time moving between the high society of Paris and the criminal underworld.

He began accumulating riches through a series of burglaries and scams. During this time, Sobhraj met and began a romantic relationship with Chantal Compagnon, a young Parisian woman from a conservative family. Sobhraj proposed marriage to Compagnon but was arrested later the same day for attempting to evade police while driving a stolen vehicle.

He was sentenced to eight months in prison, yet Chantal remained supportive throughout the entirety of his sentence. Sobhraj and Compagnon were married upon his release. Sobhraj, along with a pregnant Compagnon, left France in for Asia to escape arrest.